Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Need help With Stellar Myths!

I was hoping that someone (or several someones) could help me with a little project I'm working on... as part of our remodel and restructure of the store, we have decided to rename the suites (what are currently used as reader or massage rooms) after constellations. I wanted each name to reflect what type of thing generally goes on there, so I was thinking that the main reader room could be named Delphinus (connecting it to the Dolphin; the mediator between Gods and mankind in Greek Mythology as well as connecting it to the Oracle at Delphi) and the main massage room Ophiuchus; after the celebrated healer... although I'd be open to something else here. I still need a name for another reader/massage/whatever room, as well as a name for our classroom. Also, a name for our office would be nice, too... but I'll take what I can get.

Does anyone have any star trivia bouncing around their heads? Anyone inclined to make any suggestions? Thanks in advance...

14 comments:

technocowboy said...

Inanna's symbol is an 8-pointed star, which is now the compass rose, that which ancient (and, well, not so ancient) mariners used to navigate by the stars. Might be a good inspiration for the classroom, since it's somewhere that guidance is given.
Or, um, the Daystar, maybe. He's pretty awesome, too. :D In all seriousness, though, don't forget that the Sun is also a star. Just REALLY close and interwoven into our very existences.

culfinglin said...

hmm, the classroom could be Ara, the altar, which is somewhere around scorpius, i think. though Auriga, the charioteer trying to control the kids, might be more apt for a classroom...

tanith_astlik said...

For healing, Asclepius or one of his daughters.
P.S. Happy Birthday!

the_misha said...

For the classroom, possibly Chiron, the centaur who was revered as a teacher and tutor (and, in fact, taught a number of the classic Greek heroes)? There's a rather significant asteroid (or comet) named for him... not a constellation, I know, but still an astronomical and astrological body.

ashlupa said...

Aquarius has the water links to both divination and healing, but may be a bit overused. Columba, maybe? Or even Lyra, if there's music involved.
Aquila, the eagle, would give you air for the classroom. Or Carina, for guiding/structure. Although Bootes is more accurate for some classrooms I've been in *g*, if much less poetic to say.
And for your office, there's always the Peacock--Pavo.
(Pavo Hydri?)

127fascination said...

Ahem.......Pleiades (the seven sisters or blue stars. It fits with the Feri star and Blue Rose, plus the SG is crowned by blue suns)

drakematrix said...

A suggestion for the classroom would be Sagittarius. The constellation is not just any centaur... it was Chiron, tutor to Herakles, Asclepius, Patroclus, Jason, and Achilles. Or, if you like, the southern constellation Centaurus is also named in his honor.
Why the DLP Pic? Because Chiron is the Mascot of Delta Lambda Phi

drakematrix said...

I posted my comment before I saw this, but the constellation sagittarious is, in fact, a representation of Chiron, as is the Constellation Centaurus in the southern hemisphere

stiobhanrune said...

For the classroom?
Hesperus.
*grins*
Come on, you know you love that 'dawning' comprehension... and a Venus/Hekate/Lucifer motif would look WAY witchy.
As to the massage room, I'd avoid Chiron, as he was a wounded healer, and unless you WANT to start alignment with the archetype of the massage therapist who gets sick from tension and stress... *chuckles*
Dunno about what would be good, since you used Ophiuchus... that pretty much incorporates Aesculapius, and Panacea doesn't have a constellation or star to my knowledge...
Ah well...

stiobhanrune said...

Ooh, I like that one. Especially considering that some of the lore of the Pleiades is really dark... *grins wickedly*

lokipup said...

Dover has an excellent book on the subject of astronomy-related myths.
But you're talking about constellations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation): there are 88 recognized by the IAU, which favor Greco-Roman myth devices. You might have fun looking for non-Western asterisms (Chinese, for example).
Some of the less obvious ones might be:
Norma -- the straight-edge (classroom yardstick, anyone?)
Mensa -- the table
Vela -- the sail (have any rooms partitioned by a curtain?)
Camelopardalis -- the giraffe (people stretching their necks to look over cubicals?)
Dorado -- mahi-mahi aka dolphin-fish
Not all the constellations are Ptolemaic, of course -- nearly half were out of view for him. So finding mythic associations for them is more difficult than modern.

yezida said...

sideways comment:
I know you were not looking for this, but I got all excited by the word Delphinus as the name for your *shop*! It is a great name, reflects the Delphic Oracle and magic(k) stuff, but still keeps continuity from the old, hideous name, in a cool, new way.
Just my two cents.

the_misha said...

Excellent... thanks for the info! :)

faerywolf said...

Re: sideways comment:
I thought of that, actually... but in the end we thought that Delphinus was just too abstract for the main store name... people walking past would have no clue what the store was ("Is is a restaurant???") Chas and I have an idea in mind for a new name that will reflect the mystical nature of the place while retiring the aforementioned porpoise. We even already bought a domain name for the website. More will be revealed...